Operations and Maintenance

Welcome to Operations and Maintenance, a division of Washington County's Department of Land Use & Transportation (LUT). Our primary responsibilities include:

The Roads and Bridges of Washington County

Washington County is a big place and keeping the transportation system functioning is a big job. Our territory ranges from near the summit of the Coast Range over to the West Hills of Portland and down to Wilsonville. Our boundaries border Multnomah, Clackamas, Yamhill, Tillamook and Columbia counties. Want to learn more? Visit Washington County Roads: By the Numbers.

Road and Bridge Maintenance

To keep our roads and bridges safe and functioning, we pave, patch and grade roads; cut back vegetation; repair bridges; install and repair pavement markings and traffic signs; and keep the water moving through culverts and ditches. An annual Road Maintenance Program is developed and approved by the Washington County Board of Commissioners.

Emergency Response

We sand and plow when snow and ice arrives, and close roads when flooding hits. Our staff is on call 24 hours a day to respond to malfunctioning traffic signals, downed trees, blocked culverts, and sink holes. Our Winter Road Operations plan identifies the priority response routes that are cleared first.

Public Right-of-Way

We also manage use of the public right-of-way, making sure the roadways are safe and protecting our investment in the transportation system. We issue Right-of-Way permits to folks who want to work in the road right-of-way, and we inspect the work they do to make sure it meets our requirements.

Environmental Stewardship

All work performed in our roadways by our crews, contractors, and others is guided by Washington County's Best Management Practices for Routine Road Maintenance. These practices minimize or avoid actions that may cause harm to endangered fish species, resource waters or wildlife habitats.